


The Gift

by ThotRising



Category: Marvel 616, X-Factor (Comics)
Genre: Everyone is Trans, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 11:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18342851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThotRising/pseuds/ThotRising
Summary: Julio isn’t an easy person to shop for, or maybe Shatterstar isn't the best shopper, but either way this spur of the moment impromptu declaration of affection was snowballing into a panicked quest for the right gift for this person who oh so deserved something nice to have.





	The Gift

Julio isn’t an easy person to shop for, or maybe Shatterstar isn't the best shopper, but either way this spur of the moment impromptu declaration of affection was snowballing into a panicked quest for the right gift for this person who oh so deserved something nice to have. Julio has been there for Shatterstar almost since they've met, and by Va’s vid is Shatterstar trying to be there too for him. And because of the fact that his weekly watching of Lifetime had been in the Valentine's theme because of the Spring air, that brought the idea that buying a gift for his one love would be reasonable and expected. 

 

Shatterstar had never been what you would call normal, and I've never said that I was; my going to stores, after asking for some of my seldomly taken paycheck from Jamie, went off generally without incident. I only talked to curious shoppers who wondered if I was famous, “You could say that,” and workers trying to help me, “What do you give someone to show them that they mean everything to you?” 

 

What they showed me never was enough, or was wrong in some way. There was a box of chocolates that I knew would hardly last a day and had too many cherries for Julio's taste. The watches and rings were too clinical for one who has such an attuned connection to its components. The sports car was a pretty shade of green that I knew he liked, but I worried it would either end up being too much for me in the end or if he would think it was. So I left the stores to find something better.

 

I looked and looked through gift shops and kiosks for something that would suit him, but I must be picky because nothing ever caught my eye. I was so into my task that I didn't hear Dazzler call my name until she chased me down and patted my shoulder to get my attention.

 

I nearly jumped back a foot, but when I saw it was my mother I did not retaliate. Dazzler and I have never officially met, but one doesn't simply be a mutant or mutant adjacent in this world and not know of Dazzler through either one of her careers. And I guess she'd seen me working on this team or my last, or perhaps she'd learned of me through osmosis by being in proxy to Longshot, either way she knew my name and look. 

 

“Shatterstar, what has you in town?” she asked once getting my attention, ignoring the jumping back reaction after I had calmed down. 

 

“Shopping,” I answered, gesturing to the kiosk I was at. After a beat I decided to add, “I'm getting a present for my boyfriend.”

 

Dazzler has a little sigh, “Ah, young love.” Guilt leached onto me for what I had to eventually do to her relationship to be able existence, but I push down the blame onto the paradox of it all. “I was shopping too, a little gift for myself you could say. But I'm all done with that if you'd like some help, because you really look confused about what to get.”

 

“I would like that,” I tell her. I, in the past, have been hesitant to accept help from most people, but this is different then most of those times, because even through Dazzler is essentially a stranger, I would like her not to be.

 

We start talking, and I tell her of how the hunt has been so far and give a quick lay down of all the duds, how nothing felt personal enough for someone so special.

 

“Why don't you just make him something?” Dazzler asked after combing for details about me and Julio’s lives and likes, me all too happy to share with her, and her seeing I wanted a gift as unique as Julio himself is.

 

I dramatically facepalm and ask how I hadn't thought of that in the first place and told her farewell. Dazzler didn't seem surprised when I asked for a hug goodbye, perhaps she thought being a people person was a Mojoworlder norm, even though that's a trait I tend to lack, or maybe I reminded her of myself, if only subconsciously.

 

Walking away I had already come up with a new battle plan. I, using my many talents and knowledge of all things Julio Esteban Richter, would make something he would not only love, but would also treasure. All I needed was a glue gun, some googly eyes, a computer with a printer, and to borrow Longshot for a little trip. 

 

After going to a public library, to avoid Julio in case I confessed my surprise too early, and texting Longshot to meet me there, I sat down at the computer and thought over my choices. Camp Verde was a no for my plan, it was where we first met, but the tragedy there is stained into the ground. The carnival above the destroyed Murderworld could be nice if it WASN'T above Murderworld because we had first started to date while stating there. The school was where he left to go back home after being scared Cable would find out about him, so also a no. And when Julio came back I think it was one of the best moments of my life, but it was calm within a storm of chaos of unsure identity on my part as well, so again a no.

 

The place that I wanted to use was somewhere that could be considered unexpected from someone who didn't know me, the safe house that we had been at before leaving X-Force. It was not just that we had left the team there; it was that we finally let us be ourselves and together. It was choosing us and betting that we’d would be alright. I would like to use that place and that memory for my gift for him.

 

Longshot had come in just as the picture of the town it had been in was printed out. He smiled and asked what I’d wanted. 

 

“I need to get something, and I would like your help to take me to this place, to get it,” and handed him the picture.

 

He took it and looked at it intently, “Go.” I took out my blades and concentrated on the town too. And after a flash, we were there.

 

I sank down to my knees, drained but not out for the count. When a thought came to me, “Do you think that I can teleport because of Dazzler's light manipulation powers?”

 

Longshot looked alarmed and started to walk away.

 

“Don't leave. I'm sorry Longshot.”

 

He stopped in his tracks but wouldn’t turn to face me, “I know people think I have it easy, but they don't know that I can't use my power for myself, and everytime I use it I end up using up all my luck, so there's never enough for any type of normal life. I don't even remember when I did have good times, so I just live.”

 

I'm still winded, but I feel bad for hurting my dad's feelings, so I try to help, “I wasn't made to have a normal life either, but I still have a good one. And despite the past, I'm with you now, and we can make new memories together.”

 

“I'll just forget. It's better if I don't get involved,” he trails off, not looking sure if he wants to say his next words,”People will feel sorry for you just like they are for Dazzler, if they find out your my son. They'll say ‘No wonder he turned out like that when his dad is a walking closet space case.’”

 

“I turned out how I did despite Mojo. I grew up about a hundred years after I was born, and you both didn't even know that I was born in the first place. You didn't have the chance to raise me so you aren't why I'm like this, but I like who I am.

 

“And people like you Longshot. They may not understand you fully, but they like you almost naturally and that's just strangers! The people who are your friends know what you're like, and they still like you. You have many more friends than me, but you also are more of a people person than me. Now come sit down with me.”

 

Longshot finally turned back and sat in the cool grass beside me. He looked tired but better. “Just don't tell anyone I'm your dad yet. I still don't want them to treat you different. But you should tell Dazzler if you want.”

 

“I saw her today, and I think I will.” I finally caught my breath, “Can you help me find something special Longshot?”

 

“I'm good at finding things, what are you looking for.”

 

“How I understand it, Julio's powers can work like your reading powers in specific conditions. If it's made of Earth he can tell it's history, or at least what the history feels like. So I want you to find me a rock that either me or Julio stepped on while we were staying here.”

 

Longshot looked over at lawn and the mixture of gravel into the grass at some places of the it. He went to start at a corner, but his eye flashed, and he tripped on his way there, falling onto a pile of grass. While he used his hands to push himself up, his eye glew again and he paused until the glow stopped. He lifted himself all the way up and handed the rock to me, “This is what your looking for.”

 

I take it when Longshot starts to brush himself off with his free hand. It was palm sized, somewhat textured but mainly smooth, and colored brown with pinkish red stripes decorating it. I think it's lovely and absolutely what I'm looking for. “Thank you Longshot!”

 

The now clean blond says it's no problem and then asks,”So what do we now?”

 

“My power still is drained. So we can stay here till I regain it. It should take half a day.” 

 

“Oh,” Longshot started bouncing on the balls of his feet,”I'll explore the house.” He opened the door and left me alone in the yard. I give it a good look for the first time since I've gotten here. It's upkeep seems to have stopped years ago, but everything else seemed to stay the same. We were never here long, but I took in all details a long time ago, with the splitting of the first real friends I ever had. 

 

I drink in the smell of the wind and hold it there in my lungs before becoming bored of the silence. It was beautiful and important, but it couldn't keep my mind captive long enough.

 

I go inside after my father. He'd already found some food and got the television to work, “Are those chips stale?” The man shrugs and motions for me to sit on the couch by him. I follow and see he's watching some documentary about monarch butterflies. “Why that?” I ask.

 

He gets a faraway look, ignoring me and the tv while giving an answer, “You know butterflies always seem to be a running theme in my life, a motif if you must. They follow me around during the most important parts of my life whether real, pictured, or mechanical.” his eye glows dully now, “Butterflies imply a theme of rebirth, metamorphosis, and self discovery. I forget who I am and become someone new or myself again depending how you see it.” His eye flickers out again, “What were we talking about?”

 

“Just butterflies.”

 

“Oh they're happy I think. You know they start as one thing and end up as something else, but they were that the whole time, they just weren't done yet!” he said with a wink towards me. 

 

I got his implication clear as day, “So you think that butterflies are like trans people because metamorphosis is just discovering oneself?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I think I like that Longshot. You never hear people call butterflies unreasonable or that they should just stay caterpillars. And even as caterpillars, they still are butterflies aren't they?” 

 

Longshot noded, and we finished our documentary and continued to talk. After a while I dozed off and found myself under a left behind blanket, that I assumed Longshot had dusted off. The man in question was doing stretches in the corner, his agility apparently a gift that you had to practice. I got up and looked to the window, it was dark outside but only just. 

 

“Time to go back Longshot. Can you think of the craft store by our house?”

 

“Yes,” and with another flash of life I was in the middle of the glitter aisle. “Me and Dazzler still bedazzle our costumes together.”

 

“That makes sense. Do you know where the glue gun is?”

 

He pointed towards the other side of the store. 

 

“Oh thank you.” I went and got one while Longshot found the googly eyes for me. I was too tired to do that myself at this point, so I accepted the help. After paying, because Longshot doesn't carry cash, Longshot had to carry me and my bags across the street to where X-Factor Investigations was stationed at, our home and our base. I told him to sneak us both through the window of his room, and through only miracle itself we both got inside safely with our items.

 

I loaded the gun and plugged it up, while lying on the bed. Longshot went to get me a sandwich because I had refused to eat any of the stale chips earlier, and Shatterstar’s body and stomach were starting to turn against me, the two trips in one day straining my metabolism. 

 

The making of the creature was simple enough, glue eyes on it so that it looks like it could see, but I got lost in the details of where to place each eye. I ended up giving three eyes space out in a row because it looked empty with only two. 

 

After finishing my sandwich and regaining enough space to walk, I drag myself to stand and bring myself to my room. I knock, hoping the love of my life has already went to bed. A crick in the bed and a Julio who looks as tired I feel opens the door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Oh ‘Star,” he yawned, “I’d been wondering where you'd been at.”

 

“I apologise Julio, I did not mean to cause alarm.” The other man waves it off like it was nothing. “I've spent all day getting you a present.”

 

“Aw, you didn't have to do that ‘Star, having you around is gift enough.”

 

“And same to you too Julio, but I just thought it would be nice to get you something, and someone as wonderful as you should get to have nice things, so I spent all day looking at so many things until I ran into Dazzler-”

 

“Who gave you an autograph for me?”

 

“No, but I'm going to visit her soon if you would like to come. She told me that I should make you a present, something that really comes from the heart, so I made this,” and I took out my creation from behind myself and into Julio's view.

 

His eyes and smile went wide just at seeing it. “Oh my God it's cute. Can I name it or does it have a name already,” and he reached to grab it and he stopped talking in confusion, just staring at the rock, turning it over and holding it firmly, putting it up to his face. 

 

“Is this what I think it is?” he asked, his words slowed and quiet, looking up at me with tears in his eyes. I nodded and he threw himself at me in a hug, only because I was still drained from today's teleportings I was nowhere near full strength, and all of my 95 pounds was knocked to the ground with my happy boyfriend to follow. It was okay down there because I got a mouthful of kisses before either of us spoke again.

 

It was me who spoke first whenever things calmed down, “I'll always choose you Ric. Always you.” And Rictor cried some more so we stayed there on the hallway floor for a long time, hugging each other in the 2nd story air. “Te amo Julio,” I whisper into his hair, finally falling asleep again from today's exhaustion, feeling happy and light in my love's arms.

 

I catch an, "I love you too,” before falling into dreams that can't be better than my reality.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Btw Longshot, Shatterstar, Julio, and Alison are all trans. Can't help it, It's cannon.


End file.
